US aircraft manufacturer Boeing anticipates more orders for its Dreamliners in the Indian market, which aims for significant growth in the coming years, according to a PTI report citing a senior company executive.
Amid ongoing US-imposed tariff concerns, Boeing India and South Asia President Salil Gupte highlighted the shared goal of industrialising India's aerospace industry. He expressed confidence that the aircraft manufacturer can overcome some of these short-term hurdles.
In India, Air India operates Boeing 787, also called Dreamliners. The airline's first custom-built Dreamliner after privatisation, introduced in January 2022, is scheduled to begin commercial flights from February 1.
"B787 has an extremely bright future in India... we look forward to potentially more orders for the 787 in India coming," Gupte told PTI in an interview.
Air India operates 33 Dreamliners, including 26 legacy B787-8s, six B787-9s from Vistara, and the newest model.
IndiGo also operates some Dreamliners leased from Norse Atlantic Airways.
Air India plane crash
On 12 June last year, an Air India Dreamliner operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off, killing 260 people, and it was also the first fatal accident involving the Dreamliner. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash.
Against this backdrop, Gupte mentioned that 2025 was a challenging year for Boeing.
"... as we think about the Air India AI171 accident, naturally, the victims' families, victims, and all of their loved ones remain foremost in our minds….As it relates to the accident investigation, of course, that will go on, and we expect the Indian AAIB will issue its report. But beyond that, there's not much that any of the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can comment on," he said.
Recently, Boeing also faced regulatory issues, including with the Dreamliner.
Details on global demand
The global demand for B787S has been incredibly robust, and we expect that will continue in the years to come, Gupte said.
In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 B787 aircraft to different airlines.
Addressing the increasing competition from Airbus, Gupte said competition is natural in the industry as he stressed that "airplanes are tools for our customers to serve their customers".
"We believe that the number of routes and missions that our customers here will want to fly will grow for the B787. And we think there is an entire network of possibilities for which the B787 will be ideal," he noted.
Tariff concerns
On tariff issues, he said Boeing has been around for 100 years and has operated through a wide range of circumstances, including world wars, conflicts, financial crises, and other challenges.
"Whether it is a tariff or a financial crisis or something else, in the long term, it does not affect the growth of the business... as societies become more advanced, one of the things that they do is travel more. We are confident that we will be able to see some of these short-term challenges through," Gupte said.
Boeing has more than 265 commercial and military aircraft operating in India, which is an important market for the plane manufacturer. The company collaborates with over 325 suppliers, with annual sourcing worth exceeding $1.25 billion from the country. Apart from Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, Boeing planes are also in the fleets of Vistara and GoAir.